The Unlikely Reign of Taichi Yagami
by KHLostEmpress
Summary: Clearly everyone underestimated the sense of humor of the student body. He only ran as a joke; neither he nor his friends actually expected him to win the election for student council president. Now only two questions remain: Does power truly corrupt and can Odaiba High School survive while the Digidestined are in charge?
1. April

Author's Notes: As always, a few quick things. No romance, guys. I mean it this time. I don't think even _hints_ of Takari will make it in (on second thought…I make no promises of that) considering their presence will be limited as they are in a different school. Also, this is meant to be completely humorous/ridiculous. And sort of crackish. In that you probably should not take it seriously. Last thing, it shall be pretty evident what parts of Digimon canon I'm throwing out. *cough*epilogue*cough*

* * *

"_This has got to be some kind of joke, right?"_

"_Nope. Well, it started out as one, but then, I won. By a _landslide_."_

"_Who in their right mind would vote for you—_you_—of all people? I mean, of all the harebrained, idiotic, throw yourself into the fire plans you've come up with before, this simply takes top spot. Actually, I take that back. I have seen worse, true, but seriously, Taichi? What possessed you to do this? _Don't answer that_! I know I said, 'go ahead' but you know I didn't actually mean it. _Stop laughing, Takeru_. This isn't funny. I don't have time for this. We've got to be thinking about college this year. I still have a band to look after, not to mention who knows if the Digital World isn't going to decided to blow up at any second. Don't give me that look. You know it's always a possibility."_

"_...So, you'll be my VP, right, Yamato?"_

"_I'd have to hit you if you even thought about anyone else but me."_

\- Yamato and Taichi, at the Ishida apartment, after Taichi found out he won the election for Student Council President

* * *

The students of Odaiba High School had no idea what they had done.

They gathered in the large gym for the opening ceremony, three different classes of students in one place. The freshman, who really had no part in it, chatted eagerly with friends they knew from junior high. Once at the top, some had not quite realized that they were back on the bottom. Most were still simmering in the excitement of entering high school.

The seniors, in their final year as it was, were partially excited that their high school years were at last nearly over mixed in with the fearful panic that they would soon be in college and have to deal with real life. With all their problems, they couldn't really be bothered by the lower classes and simply wanted to survive until the end.

The juniors, neither as bubbly as their younger peers nor as jaded as their elders, were looking to ride through the year. The excitement of being in high school had faded, but the pressure of college was not yet overbearingly heavy. It was this group, alongside the seniors, that would soon realize where their choices had left them.

As the principal came out and began to speak, the noise quieted down as the students listened. Announcements and reminders feel from her lips, but the student body only partly paid attention, especially the older ones who had heard most of it before. But they all perked up when the principal said, "And now, a few welcoming words from your student council president, Taichi Yagami."

But who appeared was not the bushy-haired teen all of the students were familiar with, if not personally then by reputation. Who walked onto the stage from the side was none other than the blond rock star, Yamato Ishida. There was no stopping the screams of the fans in the room. While still no more than a local sensation (and seemingly uninterested in becoming more), The Teenage Wolves were quite popular among the students. That he appeared rather than Taichi was odd but strangely not unexpected. The pair was rather famous.

No one really understood how (or why) the soccer star and the singer were best friends. Nor did anyone know how the group they hung around with came into being. It was such a strange array of personalities and interests that no one saw what they had in common. But no one was surprised when Taichi choose the blond as his vice president.

The principal vacated the podium as Yamato approached, who simply shook his head at the principal. The woman shrugged in response and left the stage to sit with the other teachers. Yamato came to the podium and looked out across the audience, paying what seemed like special attention to the doors. Then he sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and muttered (but due to the microphone, everyone heard it anyway), "I can't believe I agreed to this."

Straightening, he gripped the edges of the podium in his hands. "Good morning, everyone. I am Yamato Ishida, the vice president. Our esteemed president is not here at the moment," he ground out from between gritted teeth. "But I'm sure you all know him, since most of you voted for him. Those that don't know him don't worry! You will." To the students, it seemed like a warning as Yamato's voice dropped low on those last words. But that didn't make sense to anyone. Not to those that did know Taichi nor those that didn't.

"I will now introduce the rest of the student council—"

He cut off when all the lights in the gym suddenly shut off. While a few students screamed, most broke out into hushed whispers. The principal stood from her chair and got halfway to the stage when all the sudden music began to play. Many recognized it as one of The Teenage Wolves' more popular songs. At the same moment, the stage lights began to flash different colors all over the stage and the audience. A mist-like smoke rolled onto the stage from both sides. Everyone in the room, save one, was utterly baffled. The one, Yamato (still standing at the podium), seemed defeated or exasperated (or both) as he rested his face in his hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a deep voice, that no one recognized but sounded like it belonged in a sports arena of some kind, echoed across the intercom. "I give you...the student council. Senior Taichi Yagami, President."

To the left of Yamato, the student body watched in awed rapture as a spotlight appeared and _something_ descended from the ceiling. As it came down further, they could see that it was a chair (though perhaps throne would have been more of an apt description) with none other than Taichi seated on it. With one leg propped up on the other and a crown on his head, Taichi looked out into the audience with an expression and a smirk that spoke of an overlord surveying his slaves. Though he wore his school uniform, a red velvet cape with white fur trim rested on his shoulders, and he held a giant gold staff in one hand.

When the chair reached the ground, the students were expecting him to get up and say something. They were greatly mistaken in thinking it was over. Instead, another spotlight appeared over Yamato, who hadn't so much as glanced at his best friend. "Senior Yamato Ishida, Vice President." The blond did not move.

To the right of the musician, yet again there was another spotlight that appeared. "Senior Sora Takenouchi, Secretary." Another throne-like chair rose from the ground underneath the spotlight. The auburn haired girl sat on it (those closest could actually see that she was _tied_ to it). She was glaring daggers at Taichi. A crown similar to Taichi's lay at her feet.

"Junior Koushiro Izumi, Treasurer, and Freshman Miyako Inoue, Historian." The back curtain lifted revealing a staircase with the two people named at the top of it. Koushiro looked sort of confused until his eyes appeared to find Taichi, and it shifted into a knowing smile. Miyako wore a determined smile and practically pulled Koushiro down the stairs with her.

Only when they got close to the front, did Taichi rise from his chair and move to the podium. Finally, when Taichi was standing next to him, Yamato moved, though he did so to raise head and have a whispered argument with his friend (which again everyone heard—microphone—but no one really understood). "Angemon, Taichi? _Angemon_?"

Completely unaffected by the icy glare of his friend, a triumphant and somewhat self-congratulatory grin formed on the new president's face. "He was the only one with a cool, deep voice small enough. It's not like Garurumon can get into that box. Well, maybe _Were_Garurumon." He paused and threw an arm around Yamato's shoulder. "But that would have required your help."

Angemon? Garurumon? These words were foreign to the students. Friends whispered to each other theories of what they could be talking about. The best anyone could come up with were that they were some kind of code words or names. Not a single one guessed that they were digital monsters from another world. Which was in fact the truth.

Yamato shrugged his friend's arm off his shoulder and folded his arms across his chest as he turned to face Taichi. "Oh, so Takeru helped you?" the blond inquired. A few in the audience recognized the name, mainly those among the freshman. Some knew him personally, others as that happy, optimistic blonde guy. A few knew him as that kid who hung out with Taichi's sister. Fewer still were those that knew he was the younger brother of Yamato.

"Yeah, he thought it would be funny," Taichi smirked.

"Of course, he did." Yamato's expression crumbled again into one of defeat. Though, those closest to the stage could have sworn they'd seen his lip tug upward into an almost smile.

Perhaps Taichi had seen it too because those that knew him the best could tell that he relaxed, even if they hadn't realized he'd been tense in the first place. The number of people in that category (that weren't already on the stage) was very small, and the majority of those were his teammates on the soccer team. "And you know Patamon," Taichi said. Another word that no one recognized. "Eager to do whatever Takeru says." He lifted up the staff that he still held in his hand and swung it back and forth a bit. "Look, he even let me borrow his cool staff thing."

"Please don't swing that around," Yamato pleaded as he leaned back. He looked suddenly and inexplicably wary and a little afraid. "You might kill somebody." The students thought he was being sarcastic or exaggerating. It was a fair assumption since Yamato tended to be so very sarcastic.

He was not.

Taichi looked speculatively at the giant golden staff. "I doubt it'd work for me, you know." He looked sort of disappointed at his realization.

"I'd rather not take the chance."

"Are you two even listening to yourselves?" Sora suddenly hissed. When she strained against the rope wrapping her arms and legs to the chair, those that hadn't yet known figured out her tied up state. "People can _hear_ you." This led many of the student body to the conclusion that whatever those strange words meant, it was supposed to be a secret. The students had pretty much learned by now to leave well enough alone with that group. It was safe to assume that no one was going to bring it up to them. If just because they didn't want to be on the bad end of Sora Takenouchi's temper.

The two friends looked at the girl silently for a solid ten seconds. Finally, Taichi broke the silence by asking, "So...you want to go untie her?"

"Oh no. I am not touching that," Yamato replied quickly and emphatically. "That is a can of worms you can deal with all on your own."

Taichi looked chagrined for a second before he took center stage at the podium. It was apparent that he was going to ignore the tied up girl for the moment. "Well, Odaiba High School, this has been merely a taste of what is in store for you this year. Look forward to the rest of my reign." A beat of silence. Then, a standing elevation surrounded by thunderous applause.

The students of Odaiba High School _still_ had no idea what they had done.


	2. May

Author's Notes: I'm glad everyone is liking the story. Sorry this chapter took so long. For some reason, summer has never been a great writing period for me.

* * *

"_I don't know why you're surprised. Taichi really is the best leader anyone could ask for. He _still_ is our leader, and you know we'd all follow him to the end of the earth if he told us to."_

"_I know that. Believe me, I'm man enough to admit now that I couldn't have done what he did with us back then. I couldn't have even begun to be who he was for us. He's my best friend, and I wouldn't want anyone else at the head of the Digidestined."_

"_Then, I don't understand the problem."_

"_I trust Taichi with my life. With the life of _anyone_ and _everyone_ on this planet. Just not my education."_

"_So, you're the Vice President?"_

"_So, I'm the Vice President."_

\- Sora and Yamato, at Odaiba High School, after Yamato formally accepted the Vice President seat

* * *

The class of 11B was very surprised one Monday when the door to their classroom abruptly slid open to reveal the slightly haggard looking and panting school council president, Taichi Yagami. Promptly shutting the door behind him, Taichi quickly gazed across the classroom and then suddenly grinned. "None of them are in here. Didn't think so."

The teacher, Mrs. Fujita, who had paused in the middle of the math problem she'd been writing with the chalk still pressed to the board with half a three trailing behind it, furrowed her brows and began, "Look here…"

But Taichi was already halfway across the classroom and interrupted by pressing his finger to his lips and shushing her. "Sorry, Mrs. Fujita. But just pretend I was never here, alright?" Without waiting for the answer, Taichi finished crossing the room and vaulted out the open window to the utter shock of all those present.

It took another second before one student remarked, "Aren't we on the second floor?"

No sooner after that was said then the door was flung open for a second time. This time the person on the other side caused half the class to flinch. The other half was simply too dumbfounded and confused by what was going on to muster any sort of reaction. It was one of the great mysteries of the school. Of how one of the most kind, compassionate, and caring people also had one of the hottest, most violent, and vicious tempers they'd ever seen. But since she typically only tended to turn her temper on one of two people (or both, depending on the situation), no one took much time to figure it out. It was simply a known fact.

No one messed with Sora Takenouchi. Not if they valued their life.

Given the state the president had been in when he arrived and the close following arrival of her, it wasn't hard to guess the general gist of what was going on. As the school council president was one of those two people subject to her wrath, clearly, Taichi Yagami was insane. Or had a death wish. Or both. The class of 11B was under silent agreement that it had to be one of the options as they gazed at the tennis star in their doorway. They could almost literally see the flaming aura she was emitting from her body. And then, so quickly that quite a few students experienced mental whiplash, Sora's entire demeanor shifted in an instant. Hands on her abdomen, she bowed to the teacher. "Mrs. Fujita, have you seen Taichi?" she asked after she came up. A warm, gentle smile graced her lips, but if anyone noticed how her humbly inquisitive tone hardened on the president's name, no one was going to call her on it.

However, Mrs. Fujita was still stunned that a student had jumped out of the window in front of her. She was pretty sure she should be reporting this incident to the principal and getting medical assistance, as per her duty as a teacher, but at that very moment she was just too shocked. Seeing the state her teacher was in, the Class Representative, a girl with long black hair in twin braids by the name of Meiko, helpfully said, "He jumped out the window."

Sora's eyes widened as her gaze jerked to the open window. Her lips twisted as her hand came up to cover her mouth. Unexpectedly, a snort accompanied by muffled laughter escaped. The class was once again stunned to silence for what seemed the umpteenth time. After all, that would not have been their reaction to hearing that one of their best friends had just taken a two story dive. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time he's almost died. And if a psychopathic, sword-wielding clown couldn't kill him, I doubt this would." Despite the epic (and probably traumatizing) story that was sure to be behind that statement, everyone knew better than to ask. Not to mention the fact that many were stuck on the knowledge that their president had apparently almost died enough times that it didn't even faze his friends anymore.

Her laughter died down quickly before she shrugged. "Well, if he didn't want to do it that badly," she said. Under her breath, few could hear when she added in a mutter, "I probably would do it better anyway." Clasping her hands in front of her, Sora bowed once more to Mrs. Fujita. "Sorry for disturbing your class." And without waiting for an answer, the student council secretary left, sliding the door closed behind her.

There was a pause of a few seconds. Then, the sound of chairs and desks sliding across the floor echoed around the room as the students of 11B made a mass migration to the window. Useless chatter accompanied the move, as they were all wondering if anyone could see a sign of their student council president. But the ground below them was empty. More than half had been somewhat expecting to see his dead body lying there, so it was a relief to see that there was no trace of Taichi.

The students exchanged glances, wonder and bewilderment evident on most of their faces. It was quiet for a moment until one student, his eyes still looking at the ground of where the body of Taichi Yagami by all accounts _should have been_, asked a sudden question. "Do you ever get the feeling that the student council members are all some kind of undercover superheroes?"

It was perhaps an indication, one birthed by children old enough to remember when their island had been besieged by monsters long ago, that no one bothered to even dispute the idea.

* * *

Tuesday arrived and by the afternoon, everyone in the school had heard the story. Rumors, as they were wont to do, abounded throughout the school. There were students who swore they saw the president sprout wings and glide gently to the ground. There were also those among the student population who were absolutely positive that a parachute (acquired, of course, from a top secret government organization of which Taichi was a part of) was involved. While a general consensus could not be reached about the specifics (not even by the class of 11B, who had witnessed the event first hand), everyone was sure of one thing: the student council members had to have some sort of secret.

It was rather unfortunate (for the Digidestined, at least) that none of the student council members heard one whit of a single rumor. After all, it wouldn't do for their undercover heroes (of whatever variety they may be) to know that they were onto them. Had they known, they may have been a bit more careful in what they said out loud.

Then again, perhaps not.

Regardless, during lunch that day, the students milling around the third year hallway were confronted by the sudden sight of Yamato Ishida chasing down Taichi Yagami. While not necessarily a rare sight, they were treated to this uncensored conversation:

"Stop running away from me!"

"Why? So you can hit me again?"

"_Yes!_"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"Oh, yes, it was."

"It was just a sneeze!"

"_That caused a fire_! And now, I have to _start all over_!"

By the end of the day, the entire student body had been informed of the new development. Their student council president could cause fires by sneezing. Somehow. Theories began to formulate, but still no one guessed the real truth. Which was in fact that it was Taichi's partner, Agumon, whom Taichi had invited for lunch from the Digital World, that sneezed out fire onto Yamato's homework. So, in a way, the Digidestined's secret was still safe.

* * *

Another tidbit of information came to light on Wednesday afternoon. It was a well-known fact that Taichi was one of the bravest people anyone in the school would ever meet. Anyone who had watched him play a soccer game (or spent any more than five quality minutes with him) could attest to that. It was also assumed by the many who had seen them that his greatest fear was the anger of Sora Takenouchi. That caused many to wonder why he did such things to rile her wrath, but then again, he wasn't called brave for no reason.

They were all wrong, of course. Taichi did not fear Sora in the slightest. While there was a part of him that was nervous and wary (_not_ fearful) of her temper, he'd know the girl long enough that the larger part of him got a kick out of riling her up. He knew she wouldn't ever seriously hurt him (her conscience wouldn't stand for it), so he knew he was safe.

There were only a few who were aware of what _was_ Taichi's real greatest fear. Though, it wasn't really that hard to figure out. Anyone who knew Taichi, even just a little, knew he cared for his baby sister more than anything in the world. It wouldn't have been that far of stretch to realize, therefore, that his greatest fear was that something would happen to his precious sibling.

But the students of 10F were about to create another theory of something else their president possibly feared. Or rather, _someone_.

The students had just returned from their PE class and were milling about, waiting for their teacher to arrive to begin the next period. When the door slammed open, less than half the students were surprised to see that it was Taichi as he flew into the classroom, though many were in awe. Their student council president was simply legendary to them, even long before the year began. The freshman had all heard of the boisterous young man, some from older siblings, which then trickled to friends.

"I am not here, okay?" he said to them as he breezed through the room. He got a mute nod in reply, as many tensed in anticipation. Having heard the stories, the students were expecting yet another leap out the window, even if it probably would not have been as impressive here on the first floor. They were quite disappointed (and baffled, to say the least) when the senior just threw himself on the ground between the last two rows of desks.

Since they were all still looking at the president, most of the class missed the arrival of the second person to their classroom.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Taichi. It's demeaning."

Intimidating. Frightening. Stupid. These were not words anyone associated with Koushiro Izumi. And as the students gazed at the boy in the doorway, they were _still_ not words anyone would use to describe him. The redhead, widely regarded as the smartest kid in the school and for his ability to do what seemed like just about anything on a computer, leaned against the door jam with his arms folded across his chest. A look that could only be called exasperation was plain on his face as he gazed directly at the spot where Taichi was laying.

Sheepishly, Taichi rose from the ground, scratching the back of his head. A chuckle escaped his lips. "Sorry, Koushiro."

Koushiro started walking to where Taichi was standing as he said, "Now, let us discuss this plan of yours."

To the surprise of everyone, a nervous smile sprang to life on the president's face as he took a step back from the younger (and shorter) junior. "Come on, Koushiro. When have I—" He cut off as Koushiro leaned up and whispered something in his ear. No one heard what was said, but those that could see Taichi's face saw his eyes widening before he looked sharply at the treasurer. And then, the president simply walked out of the classroom. No fuss. No protests. Just simple compliance. Koushiro followed him, a rather triumphant, yet small, smile on his lips.

Stupid? Never.

Frightening? No.

Intimidating? Not really.

But the class of freshman learned that there were other ways to control people's fears. That and perhaps that there was more to Koushiro Izumi than many people had originally thought.

* * *

No one saw the president really on Thursday (or at least whatever he was up to that day), but everyone assumed _something_ else was yet again going on as a few witnessed one Miyako Inoue wandering the halls, muttering to herself.

"Don't know why they sent me. Like he'd listen to me. What am I supposed to say to him? Oh, Great and Fearless Leader, I am unworthy of thy presence, but please listen to my plea before the Hallowed Heart of Love snaps and destroys the world in a rain of fire. Yeah, right. Like that would go over well. Might be funny to see his reaction, though. Seriously, where is Hikari when you need her? Or Jyou or Daisuke or even Iori? I'm probably the _last_ person on the team he would listen to. Okay, that's probably unfair. Taichi's a great leader. He listens to all of us. But it's not like I'm one of his best friends or his logistics manager, like the others. I'm pretty much just a peon compared to the original eight. Oh, forget it. This is stupid. I'll just tell them I couldn't find him."

Though her words spread like wildfire through the student body, no one could glean much meaning from them. However, most did consider them confirmation on the group's status as undercover superheroes.

* * *

Thus it was that no one in class 11B even blinked an eye this time, not even the teacher, when Friday rolled around and Taichi ran through the classroom and vaulted out the window yet again. Class continued as if nothing had happened. A few did wonder why no one came after him, but that was all the interruption his appearance caused.

And none of the Digidestined heard a word of the (almost) true rumors running rampant throughout the school about them.

* * *

_Author's Notes: So, I was wondering what to write for this chapter, when I had a dream about Taichi jumping out a window. My dreams are weird, I know. I have accepted this. Anyway, next chapter will feature the Senior Excursion. Which means only Taichi, Sora, and Yamato will be in it, but we can have fun with that. Where should they go? Camping? The beach? Somewhere else entirely? What do you guys think?_


	3. June

Author's Notes: Who knew that it would take me this long to post something again? I surely well didn't. Anyway, hopefully there are still those out there reading this.

In other news, DID ANYONE SEE THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES TOO? HOLY CRAP WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Well, rant about that over. Read on.

* * *

"_No. Absolutely not."_

"_Sora, please…"_

"_No. Just because Taichi dragged you along and made you Vice President doesn't mean that I have to go along, too. I just want to finish high school normally like everyone else. Go find someone else. Koushiro, for example."_

"_Taichi wants it to be you."_

"_Taichi will leave me alone if he knows what's good for him."_

"I_ want you there, too. He may be our leader, but you're the heart of the group, Sora. And I can admit that my good judgment does not always...remain..._intact_...when I'm around Taichi. His leadership skills are sometimes _too_ good. You're the only one I trust to keep us in line."_

"_I am _so_ glad you think so highly of me."_

"_You know you're just itching for an excuse to be able to whack him upside the head on a regular basis."_

"_Believe me, Yamato. I don't need an excuse. ...I won't have a normal year either way, will I?"_

"_With Taichi in charge? Not a chance."_

"_Fine. I'll do it."_

\- Sora and Yamato, at the tennis courts, after Sora's club practice

* * *

Sora supposed it was inevitable. After all, the track record of the Digidestined in forests wasn't exactly stellar. There was no reason to expect that this would have been any different from those times. Like most of the things Taichi did, it all started out well enough. Even if Taichi had spent most of the planning week running away from it (except that one time he ran away after Agumon burned Yamato's homework) claiming that he wanted to be surprised. He never did quite grasp the concept that as the president, nothing would be a surprise to him anymore. At least in the planning stages. The execution, however, was an entirely different story.

Camping, however, had been chosen by the teachers of the senior classes, so that's what they planned. Sora hadn't wanted to go camping. Then again, it wasn't like bad things hadn't happened to them with every other option. The beach? Check. Ancient structures? Check. Hot springs? Oh yeah, Devimon caused that to be triple checked and underlined for emphasis.

She had begged and pleaded for a ski trip. Nothing had ever happened to them in the snow. (Taichi and Yamato both disagreed, but their opinion hardly mattered to her at that point, especially as they sheepishly explained exactly what _kind_ of _altercation_ had happened. If they counted each place the two boys had ever had an argument or fight, Sora would be wary of her _own home_.)

In any case, she was ultimately shot down, and camping it was. Sora only had to make the most of it. After all, there were only three Digidestined going, seeing as it was a Third Year Excursion. Surely, the odds of bad things happening went down with only _three_ of them.

Of course, Sora didn't exactly take into account _which_ two she was stuck with.

Or the fact that, in what must have been a momentary lapse of judgment (or a bout of insanity), she had given Taichi sole responsibility of one activity on the excursion. At the time, it seemed like the perfect idea. There was literally no one better suited than Taichi to plan a test of courage. After putting her foot down and emphatically stating 'no Digimon', Sora let Taichi have free reign of the event.

This proved to be a mistake.

"Well, at least it was Yamato."

Sora rubbed her eyes with the tips of her fingers. "He's in the hospital, Taichi. A little sympathy would be nice." Even though, some part of Sora was not exactly surprised that it had come to this. Truly, with Taichi as one of her best friends, perhaps the more surprising fact was actually the lack of time she spent in a hospital.

"It's a hairline fracture. Not that big a deal." Sora shot him a glare, incredulous at his dismissive tone. When he saw this, his hands came up, palms facing toward her, as he leaned slightly away from her. His next words came out quickly as he almost stumbled over his words. "I mean, I feel bad, I really do. But he does have the parent least likely to freak out between the three of us."

Now this made absolutely zero sense to Sora to a point. While her own mother was not as bad as she had once been, since they talked to each other and Sora knew personally the reasons behind why her injuries worried her mother, it was true that Sora would have expected some level of freaking out from Toshiko Takenouchi. And while Yuuko Yagami could appear to be some kind of airhead most of the time, she could go equally crazy mama bear or smothering mother hen with the best of them when it came to injury or illness to her children (proving that Taichi's overprotective nature toward his sister was, in fact, inherited). But both of them paled in comparison to the attitude one Natsuko Takaishi had toward injury to her sons. Giving Yamato, in truth, the parent _most_ likely to freak out of the three of them. As Sora felt the need to point out. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "You know Yamato's mother."

There was a pause. In that pause, Sora noted several things. First, the hand that had been rubbing the back of his neck stilled. At the same time, his whole body tensed and his eyes went very wide. After that second's pause, Taichi's body slumped as his hands fell back to his sides. His gaze dropped down and to the side as finally a single syllable slipped from his mouth.

"Oh."

Sora's arms folded across her chest as her weight shifted onto one foot and her head tilted slightly. "Oh?" she repeated. There were a lot of meanings to be gleaned from that one word. Judging by the way it was delivered, Sora could only think that it would end up being one she wasn't going to like. And when it came to Taichi, being direct was always the best option. "What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

And true to her prediction, the answer she got was not one she liked (though it did explain Taichi's logic at the beginning of their conversation). "I wasn't planning on telling his mother," Taichi said, his gaze still on the floor.

Something snapped within her, and Sora exploded. "You can't not tell his mother," Sora hissed at him with her hands now clenched into fists at her side to stop herself from strangling her friend. "He. Broke. His. Arm!" Each word was spoken with punctuation and a single jab of her finger into the exact center of Taichi's chest.

"It's a hairline fracture!" Taichi shot back, throwing his hands into the air. "Besides, Yamato and I have an understanding about that."

But Sora had stopped listening by that point. In fact, Taichi's last few words were spoken to her retreating back as she walked over to the teacher that had come with him to make sure he knew Natsuko's number to contact her about Yamato. Yamato's father had already been called and, as Taichi predicted, he was very accepting of the situation.

Within a few minutes, Yamato came out of the room, his left arm wrapped in a black brace that went up almost up to his elbow, covering nearly his whole forearm, tucked into a sling. Immediately, Taichi said, "I want you to know that it wasn't my idea."

"What are you talking about?" Yamato's eyebrows furrowed together tightly. "This was all exclusively one hundred percent your idea," he added, indicating his injured arm with his free hand.

"Not that. _That_."

Yamato's eyes went wide and turned to Sora. "You called my mother?" This made Sora wonder, not for the first time, if there was indeed some sort of telepathic ability between the two boys. She had not often seen their equal in silent or underlying communication. It was really almost freaky how much the two could communicate with each other without words. He waved between himself and Taichi with his uninjured arm. "We have an understanding about that." He looked at Taichi again. "Why didn't you stop her?" Taichi gave him a pointed, incredulous look. "Fair point," Yamato conceded, tilting his head in a sort of sideways acknowledgement nod.

"I don't understand the problem," Sora interjected. "She's your mother. She deserves to know."

"True but I told you we have an understanding about that."

"And what is that exactly?" Sora braced herself to hear what was sure to be one of the most ridiculous things she had ever heard to come out of one of their mouths.

She was not disappointed.

"It is our own personal responsibility to inform our own mothers about any injury we obtain. Under no circumstance are we to subject anyone else to their wrath, unless literally physically incapable," Taichi ratted off, with all the solemnity as if it were a sacred pledge.

Sora rolled her eyes. If it wasn't for the shared life and death experiences, she wasn't sure she could ever put up with these two. "Well, none of this would have happened if you hadn't come up with that convoluted version of hide-and-seek."

"No way! That was totally awesome until Yamato fell up the stairs."

"Not my most graceful moment," Yamato agreed, nodding slowly. He looked down at his arm in the sling and sighed.

"Well, it was no wonder. Someone was bound to get hurt with all that running around-"

"Actually, Sora," Yamato interrupted. "I'm going to have to agree with Taichi on this. That rush of power as they all scattered when they heard the sounds of bells was kind of addicting."

As Sora thought back on it, she couldn't really deny that the two boys had a point. She had been having a lot of fun with the activity Taichi had put together, even to the point that she had begun to think that just perhaps (_perhaps_!) trusting him with the activity hadn't been such a bad idea, after all. And that maybe (_maybe!_) she wouldn't stress half as much the next time that she ended up putting him in charge. All of which was quickly pushed to the back of her mind in that instant when the tentative voice of some female third-year crackled on the walkie-talkie and said, "Umm...excuse me? I think Ishida-san broke his arm. What should we do?"

Suddenly, Taichi was laughing. Sora shot a confused glare at him. "What's so funny?"

With eyes still sparkling with mirth and an amused smirk on his lips, Taichi said, "You were totally having a good time. It's written all over your face. Just admit that my game was totally awesome."

Sora made a noise of frustration and lifted her fist to punch Taichi on the arm. Within seconds, Taichi's eyes widened as he realized her intent. Quick as lightning, he reached out and grabbed Yamato and _pulled_. Her momentum was already too late to stop, so she ended up punching Yamato's shoulder instead.

"Ow!"

Yep, _that_ shoulder.

"Dude, what's your problem? Broken arm, remember?"

"Geez, Yamato, I'm sorry. It was instinct, I swear."

"Yamato, I'm so sorry. I wasn't aiming at you."

Glaring at Taichi and rubbing his shoulder with his uninjured arm, Yamato responded to Sora's apology with a terse, "Yeah, I know. Not your fault." Taichi, for his part, was rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish expression to accompany his apology.

Sora folded her arms across her chest. Quirking up one eyebrow and with a half smile on her lips, Sora teased, "I thought it was just a hairline fracture anyway."

Taichi and Yamato exchanged a startled glance before simultaneously looking back at Sora. A bubble of laughter escaped her lips as a puff of air. Moments later, the two boys' mouths curled upward into smiles. As one, the three friends burst into shared laughter. And Sora knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that despite the worry and stress her two best friends caused her, she wouldn't change (or exchange) them for anything in the worlds.

Needless to say, their teacher was forced to herd them from the hospital when a rather stern nurse disapproved of their loud laughter. Which, really, just caused them to laugh all the more.

* * *

_Author's Notes: I was wondering what I should do for this chapter when something told me to just put someone in the hospital. Figuring that Yamato seemed like the least likely candidate, I choose him. The DD will be in summer break the next two chapters. So, I'll have to see what comes up there._

_For anyone reading any of my other stories the answer is yes. Yes, I am working on them._


	4. July

Author's Notes: Meh...this could probably use some more polishing but whatevs. I'm done poking at it. I just wanted to get it out there.

Remember when I said no romance? Well...I lied. Kind of. It's only hints and I swear my hands wrote it without my brain's permission!

I hope you enjoy!

P.S. If you're all wondering what I'm going to do about Meiko, the answer is nothing. She will not be inserted into the story at all. Personally, I'm still on the fence about her character at all. I shall withhold judgment until I see where they are going with all this.

* * *

"Please_ say you'll do it, Koushiro. You're the best candidate for the job, not to mention I need someone else sane on the team. And before you say anything, Yamato doesn't count because his IQ tends to drop at least a hundred points when the two of them are together."_

"_Sora…"_

"Please_ don't say no. I know Taichi's our leader, and we couldn't ask for a better one. But everyone knows we would have died the first week in the Digital World without you. And many times following that."_

"_Sora…"_

"_Don't make me beg. I will, you know, if I have to because I am _just_ that desperate but I'd rather not have to."_

"Sora!_ Taichi asked me yesterday. And I already accepted."_

\- Sora and Koushiro, at the Izumi front door, after Sora accepted the position of Secretary and Koushiro, Treasurer

* * *

Taichi thought he looked absolutely fantastic in a yukata.

The problem was Taichi thought his younger sister did as well.

"Well, what do you want me to do about it? Wear a parka?" The sister in question stood with her hands on her hips. A single finger was moving up and down in a tapping motion against her hip.

He lifted his eyebrows at her. "Are you seriously giving me that option? Because I will take it."

Hikari threw her hands up. Her face lifted to the sky in an expression Taichi could recognize from just about anyone. His friends tended to do the "why me?" expression around him often. And by often, he meant a lot. As in it was a rare day when he didn't get it from at least one of them. "It's July, Taichi. I'm not wearing a parka." She walked passed him to the front door. Taichi followed her.

Objectively, Taichi thought Hikari looked positively beautiful. With her hair pulled halfway back by a giant pink flower hairpin just above her left ear, she looked radiant. Her yukata matched the hairpin (or perhaps it was the other way around). It was made with a pink fabric that contrasted with her pale skin. The gold embroidered flowers shimmered in the light, catching the attention of the eye.

Subjectively, Taichi thought Hikari looked positively beautiful. Which meant many others (males to be more specific) might think the same. Taichi twisted his lips as they rode the elevator down to the ground floor, trying to come up with a solution to his problem. In reality, he understood it wouldn't be fair of him to lock her up. Forever. Where no one could get to her.

But the protective part of him sure wished sometimes that he could.

The elevator doors opened, and the siblings stepped out. His eyes were drawn to his sister again as she pushed her hair behind her ear. The golden accents of her hairclip glinted in the waning sunlight. There was something about the hairpin that drew his attention to it. It was new, but that wasn't it. Hikari wore a new hairclip every Tanabata Matsuri. As he studied it, another face popped into his mind and he found himself asking, "He gave that to you, didn't he?"

Hikari's hand lifted to the clip in her hair, though Taichi hadn't given any indication that was what he was talking about. A smattering of pink dusted her cheeks as she said, "Of course he did. He gives one to me every year on my birthday. And it matches my outfit perfectly _again_, even though I've been so careful this time to keep the secret. I just wish I knew how he always manages to find out! Miyako swears it isn't her."

Taichi would never tell Hikari that he may or may not find out from Yamato who may or may not find out from him. Because, you know, sometimes you have to betray your sister to help a brother out. So, instead, he asked, "How did that tradition start between you guys anyway?"

"In fifth or sixth grade, I made fun of him that he only had one hat. Then he pointed out that I only wore one hair clip, and that wasn't any different. My next birthday, he got me a butterfly clip to match my yukata. So, his next birthday I got him a new hat. And we've been doing it ever since." She stopped walking and turned to face him just as they reached the train station. Her eyes moved about his face, like she was trying to read him. "Why the sudden interest?" she asked.

He shrugged and shook his head. Taichi wasn't exactly sure himself. "I dunno," he admitted. "It just seems a bit different from the other times."

Her hand lifted to the clip again. The tips of her fingers brushed along it. "Well, it is bigger this year than before." Hikari beamed up at him. Though she smiled often, Taichi didn't often see his this radiant. "But I still love it!" she exclaimed. At her words, some stray thought tugged at Taichi, a thought that was more of a feeling than words. Some realization that he felt he should have figured out ages ago but still had no words to describe.

Taichi continued to follow his sister into the train station and onto the train. His mind was still trying to figure out how to put together the jumbled pieces in his mind. He felt the pieces should fit together more easily than they did. He moved himself around Hikari to protect his sister from the crowd of people as they entered the train. His thoughts snapped back to their original conversation. "Hey! Don't change the subject!"

Twisting her head to look at him, Hikari looked confused and startled for a moment. Then she began giggling into her fist. Eyes dancing with merriment, she said, "Taichi. You're the one that brought it up."

Taichi reviewed their conversation in his head until he remembered that she was right. He had been the one to bring up the hairclip. "Oh, yeah," he drawled, causing his sister to giggle again. A minute later, the train stopped at their stop, and they got off. As they exited the train station, Taichi caught her arm before she could keep walking. "The conversation isn't done, though. I still haven't come up with a plan."

Hikari threw her hands into the air again. "I don't understand, Taichi. We've done this with everyone for years. What is your problem all the sudden?"

"You didn't turn fifteen before." And yep, that came out exactly as childish as it had sounded in his head. But the bigger part of him didn't care. He was one hundred percent serious. After all, he remembered what it was like to be a teenaged boy. Not taking into account that he was still a teenaged boy.

Hikari started to laugh again. She continued to walk down the sidewalk. Taichi frowned scratching the side of his head, walking after her. "I don't see what's so funny," he muttered, following after her. He was trying to be serious here. To him, this was a real problem. His sister was pretty and creepers liked pretty girls. He didn't know how she couldn't see that this was a crisis situation.

"You are," Hikari replied. "You do know you're being ridiculous right now, don't you?"

Taichi folded his arms across his chest and thought about it. He hadn't thought he was overreacting at the time. But once he went back over what he'd said when Hikari appeared from the bedroom (_"What are you wearing?! I'm not letting you out of the house looking like that!"_), he had to admit that it did hit rather high on the Mimi Scale. Still didn't mean this wasn't an actual problem that needed a definite plan of action.

Hikari sighed. Another thing that Taichi knew rather well. That "I am so done with you" exasperated sigh was one his friends gave him about as often as the "why me" plead. "If I stay within a foot of the boys at all times, would that make you feel better? With Mimi gone, you do about outnumber us girls almost three to one."

Taichi latched onto this idea. It sounded just about perfect to him. "Could you make it six inches? Except not Jyou because he hates confrontations. And Koushiro's shortish. So is Iori, except he's just kind of young. But he does take kendo, but he's kind of a pacifist. Not Daisuke either because we wouldn't want the police to get involved. Ken's kind of timid, too. And let's not even mention the Ishida brothers who are sometimes even more protective of you than I am and might actually murder someone who tried to hurt you." He snapped his finger as another idea came to him. "Here's an idea. Why don't you just stand between Sora and Miyako and the rest of us could surround you three like bodyguards? That way no one could even approach you at all." Taichi grinned, proud of himself for coming up with the perfect plan.

Judging by his sister's face, she did not agree. In fact, if her incredulous expression was anything to go by, he should give serious consideration to what exactly he'd said that made him sound like a raving lunatic. "What?" he asked.

Hikari's face softened, and she tilted her head to the side a bit. "I'm curious, Taichi. What is your actual plan for when I start dating someone?"

Panic. That was his honest to goodness gut reaction. "Dating?" he repeated. "Who said anything about dating?" A horrible thought struck him. "Are you dating someone, Hikari?"

"No. That's not—"

Taichi cut his sister off. "Who is he? Do I know him? Whatever. I don't care. He's a dead man."

"Taichi!" Taichi stopped talking. It wasn't often that his sister actually yelled at him. Hikari closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I am not dating anyone. But, trust me. _When_ I start dating," she began. Taichi thought she put more emphasis on the word "when" than perhaps necessary. She continued, "It will be to someone you approve of. After all, if you didn't approve of him, it would probably because he was some kind of jerk anyway. And not for some stupid reason like he's a male, right?"

Taichi couldn't exactly say that was a legitimate reason now without sounding petty. He felt he couldn't say anything except a simple agreement. At least not without implying that he didn't trust her which he did. And judging from the small mischievous glint in his sister's eyes, she knew it too. Now he wondered if she'd been taking lessons from Sora. Sora was the one that usually used his own words against him and talked circles around him. So, Taichi said the only thing he could at that point. "Right. Of course." Then, something in her words struck him as rather odd. She had said "approve" as in present tense not "will approve".

Just as he was about to ask her about it, a familiar voice broke through the crowd around them. "Taichi! Hikari!" With that shout, he realized that they had reached the shrine without him knowing. It didn't take him more than a few seconds to locate his best friend standing outside the entrance. Taichi took a quick head count, noting with no surprise that Jyou and Daisuke were still not there yet. He waved back to their friends and grabbed his sister's hand to lead her over to them.

As soon as they got over to them, Hikari's hand slipped out of his own. This action drew his attention back to his sister, and he watched her approach the boy in the center. The two middle-schoolers created the bridge between the two different units of the group. In both a figurative and literal manner in this case. When he saw the bright smile on her face when she greeted him, all those puzzle pieces that had been jumbling around in his mind slammed into place. Only two questions ran through his mind. Namely, '_when did that happen_' and '_how did I miss this before_'.

Taichi allowed his brain to process this new information, thinking about the possible conclusions. He felt a bit too much like an old grandmother when visions of brown-haired, blue-eyed children that he could spoil rotten bloomed in his mind. He shook his head to dismiss the images. Shrugging as he realized that he didn't mind at all, it still kind of raked him that Hikari had been right. So, he decided it was time to do what any good older brother would in this situation.

Embarrass the heck out of her.

He reached out and grabbed Hikari arm, tugging her back over to him. Her question died after the word 'what' when he leaned in close to her ear and spoke so that only she could hear. "Just don't kiss him in front of me, alright?"

The grin on his face only grew wider when he leaned back and saw her bright red face and mouth hanging open. She sputtered a moment before she cried out his name with indignation. But he only chuckled as he backed away and Miyako swooped into ask, "What did he say?" Hikari only groaned and buried her red face in her hands.

When he turned to his other friends, Yamato had one eyebrow lifted in a silent question. Sora had her lips pursed in disapproval. "What?" he asked. Almost as one, both of them just rolled their eyes at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jyou had arrived at some point during all this. He strode over and clapped the older boy on the shoulder. "How're you doing these days, Jyou?"

Jyou pushed his glasses further up his nose. Before he could answer, the whirlwind that was Daisuke Motomiya arrived. The boy looked frantically about as he exclaimed, "Did I beat him?" When his eyes landed on Jyou, he dropped his gaze to the ground and muttered, "Dang it."

In his mind, Taichi added to the tally in his head. Daisuke had a one-sided competition with Jyou over who could arrive first whenever their group officially gathered together. So far, in the almost two years since the competition began, Daisuke was 0 for 43. Well, 44 counting today. Taichi kept count because he planned to make a big deal about when he finally beat Jyou. The plan was to buy him a cake with 'Congratulations!' and the score written on it in bright, bold red letters. Like Sora told him, sometimes he was easily amused.

"Well, guys," Taichi said, raising his voice slightly so that they all could hear him. "Let's go." Without waiting for reply, he turned and lead the way into the shrine, knowing they would follow him.

* * *

Koushiro was sure that the Goddess of Fate must enjoy testing them. That or some god of trouble must get a kick out of watching them suffer. Because, seriously, _no one else_ could walk into a festival with the sole intent of having some relaxing fun and cause _this_ much trouble.

"Well, at least no one broke their arm this time."

"Hey! I resent that."

"It wasn't meant to be insulting."

"Well, in that case, I totally agree."

Leaning over panting, Daisuke raised his hand, drawing the attention of the group to him. He stood up straight and took a deep breath. "So…" he began. There was a second's pause before he continued, "Why did I have to punch that guy?"

"Because Taichi and Yamato are idiots," Sora stated. Her words were muffled somewhat. Which was understandable considering she was currently slung over Yamato's shoulder. Koushiro wondered why he had slung her over his shoulder rather than carry her as the other two had. Then he remembered that Yamato's arm with still in it's brace, so that was probably why. "Also, could you put me down now, Yamato?"

"Right. Sorry." Yamato quickly complied with the girl's request. He set Sora down on her feet and waited just long enough that she was steady before taking a step back.

From Taichi's arms, Hikari added, "I would like to second that statement."

"Me three!" Miyako yelled from Jyou's arms.

As Jyou put the girl down, Koushiro could have sworn he heard the older boy mutter, "Which one?" It took him a moment to realize what he meant. When he did, he had to turn his head away to hide his laugh in a cough.

Koushiro hadn't actually seen what had happened to start all this. One moment, he and Takeru had been hovering around a fishing game watching Hikari play. The next moment, Taichi had appeared from nowhere and scooped his sister up into his arms. Then, just as abruptly as he had appeared, he took off running. Takeru had followed with only a "hey, wait" falling from his lips.

On the other hand, Koushiro had taken a second to look around. It was a habit and ability of his to take note of everything in a half-second. Yamato with Sora over his shoulder and Jyou with Miyako in his arms followed after their leader. All the others trailed behind. There were a few young men surrounded by what appeared to be their friends just getting to their feet from where they had somehow fallen to the ground. After taking in the scene, Kushiro followed the rest of the group. Now that he knew Daisuke had punched someone, the boys being on the ground and everyone running away made a lot more sense.

Yells and hollers had chased the Digidestined as they had pushed their way through the crowds. Soon enough, the sounds died out as they found refuge in a more secluded part of the shrine's grounds.

"Wait. You punched a guy?" Takeru asked.

"How did you miss that?" Miyako asked.

The blond boy shrugged. "I only saw Taichi grab Hikari and run."

Miyako's eyebrow lifted and her lip curled into what could almost be called a sneer. Except that Miyako did not typically sneer. Except at Daisuke. "And you just followed? Without even knowing why?" she demanded to know.

Takeru looked at her with confusion on his face, as if he didn't understand her question. And Koushiro reasoned that to the younger boy any other option probably hadn't even occurred to him. It was times like these that he remembered that most of the younger generation hadn't experienced what they had. That they hadn't spent months in a hostile world with no one but Taichi to lead them. That they didn't remember what it was like in the time he wasn't there.

That they didn't know that if Taichi ran, yes, you did follow and wait for the explanation later.

If only because anything that could make the recklessly brave Taichi run away was not something you wanted to deal with.

Koushiro had only hesitated because it was a habit he'd developed over the years. He'd gotten used to assessing situations as fast as possible. This was so that, later, he could feed Taichi possible plans as necessary.

"I want to point out that I only punched the guy because Taichi punched someone first."

As everyone looked at Taichi for an explanation, their leader folded his arms across his chest. A frown turned the sides of his lips down, and he stared right back at them. "What? He was pushing Yamato, so I was just backing him up."

"And what were you doing that he felt the need to push you?" Sora asked.

Yamato pressed his lips into a small line before he answered. "I may have gotten a little confrontational with him and his friends."

"Why?" Sora pressed.

"They were looking at Hikari in a way I didn't like, alright?" he spat out. There was a moment's pause as everyone took that in. For no apparent reason, Hikari started to laugh. Koushiro heard Takeru mutter a question to her, most likely asking why she was laughing. She just waved at him, laughing too hard to answer him.

"In that case, I'm sorry I didn't punch my guy harder."

"Ditto."

"And if you had gotten in trouble for it?"

Taichi, Yamato, and Daisuke exchanged glances. "Still totally worth it," Taichi said as the other two boys made sounds of agreement.

"Boys." Sora muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

Taichi beamed and looked down at his sandals. "Well, on the bright side," he started. "I now know that I can run in these sandals while carrying Hikari if push comes to shove."

* * *

_Author's Notes: I don't know if you've noticed yet. But with me, I guess Takari is just kind of inevitable._

_Summer vacation is next. And a certain special surprise. But I won't say anymore!_

_And is it just me or is there WAY too much angst going on in Tri? Not that I'm not loving it (every second I get even the smallest Takari hint is worth anything and everything), but I'm just saying. If you haven't watched it yet, just be warned that there will be angst if you do._


End file.
